Lord of the Flies - Symbolism - Fire and Ralph's Leadership

Summary: An essay of how fire symbolizes Ralph's leadership role throughout the novel "Lord of the Flies."

Throughout this story there are many examples of how fire symbolizes Ralph's Leadership. There are parts where the boys support Ralph, and there are areas where Jack and the hunters are completely against him.

In the beginning, most all of the boys are in favor of Ralph and elect him leader of the group. The next instance of their support is symbolized on page 38 when a boy exclaims, "A fire! Make a fire!" This is symbolical of their willingness to make Ralph their leader. A short while later the boys discover dry wood near the mountain and state "Down there we could get as much wood as we want" (Pg. 39). This shows how the "tribe" could have made Ralph the ultimate leader, if they had wanted to. Throughout the book, Piggy helps Ralph make good decisions about what to do. This somewhat sparks his leadership role in the...